The third edition of LVMH Watch Week returned this week as the first global gathering of the horlogerie calendar. In usual fashion, the four-day digital showcase was a fiesta of mechanical mastery and artistic wrist-ice––courtesy of the latest creations and collections from the group’s enviable stable of maisons Bvlgari, Hublot, Zenith and more recently, TAG Heuer. There was plenty to salivate over at various price points, with each watchmaking house celebrating their past and crafting icons for the future.
Ahead, we round up our favourite timepieces from the 2022 LVMH watch fair:
Bvlgari Lvcea Intarsio
Speaking the language of light, the Bvlgari Lcvea is a round-dialed canvas that has always housed the timeless elegance and marvels of Rome. Its 2022 iterations draws inspiration from the sundials of ancient Rome that captured light to signal the passage of time, which have been translated into three-dimensional dials that also bring new colours to the palette. Crafted with marquetry technique called Intarsio, 37 pink mother-of-peal and blue aventurine micro-elements have been cut and faceted by hand for both cases, then assembled to create a unique display of lightwork and reflection. To complement this, diamond hour-marks dot the rims of the dials, alongside a diamond-set bezel and cabochon-cut rubellite crown.
Bvlgari Octo Roma Blue Carillon Tourbillon
First unveiled this time last year, the Bvlgari Octo Roma Blue Carillon Tourbillon gets an electrifying update with a blue high-tech carbon-based coating on the movement and the side circumference of its 44mm platinum case. The timepiece also received hour indexes and an Arabic numeral at the 12 o’clock, but don’t let its appearance distract you––it’s a serious complication piece with a Tourbillon minute repeater movement that chimes on three hammers with three gongs to tell you the time via melodic sequence. A push of the button on the side and you’ll find it ringing out a C note for the hours; E, D, and C for the quarters, and E for the minutes. Only 30 will be made.
Hublot Big Bang Integral Time Only
For the first time ever, Hublot reveals the Big Bang Integral in an unprecedented diameter of 40mm. Never before has the iconic design been fitted into such a slim-fitting and classic outfit, which now comes in three different materials of yellow gold, titanium and ‘All Black’ ceramic. The new collection, named ‘Time Only’ refocuses on the essence of watchmaking with simplicity as the guiding principle, alongside the return of the integrated bracelet––an aesthetic signature of the Big Bang Integral––to give the timepiece its strength. Like all the All Blacks crafted by the watchmaker, the ‘All Black’ rendition is limited to only 250 pieces.
Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II
Seven years running, Hublot refreshes its iconic collaboration with Sang Bleu, the creative and design studio owned and Swiss tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Büchi. This time round, Plescia-Büchi has applied his intricate line wok and signature geometrics to two iconic materials born of the Hublot Art of Fusion––ceramic in black and green, and ‘Magic Gold’. Created in-house via a mix of 18-karat gold and ceramic, the latter material completely rid worries of scratches and disfiguration. All of this is strapped in rubber and a special Sang Bleu clasp (there’s also a flyback chronograph on board). Via the three limited editions, only 550 tattoos will be available to wear on the wrist.
Zenith DEFY Midnight Sunset & DEFY Midnight Borealis
Following the launch of the Midnight collection at LVMH Watch Week 2020 in Dubai, Zenith releases two stunning new models this year, inspired by other natural occurrences in the sky: the DEFY Midnight Sunset and DEFY Midnight Borealis. Housed in a 36mm stainless steel case and embellished with brilliant-cut white diamonds on the bezel and every hour marker, the dials on each timepiece feature an eye-catching gradient of colours, offering an unexpected visual allure.
The face on Midnight Sunset transforms from warm red to a deep yellow tone, while Midnight Borealis features a blue dial that shifts to a bright emerald green towards the bottom. Both watches are equipped with the automatic Elite 670 automatic manufacture calibre, providing a power reserve of 50 hours. On top of the metal bracelets, the timepieces come with three additional colourful straps––following the gradients of the dials––that you can exchange and play with thanks to the interchangeable strap system.
Zenith DEFY Skyline
An evolution of the DEFY Classic timepiece introduced in 2018, the new DEFY Skyline retains the same DNA of its predecessor but offers an edgier aesthetic, starting with the octagonal case and a 12-sided faceted bezel comprising brushed and polished surfaces in tones of grey, silver and blued metal. The perfectly-aligned star-studded dial is inspired by the brand’s former four-pointed star logo and offers more depth value and a 3-D appearance to the dial. The 41mm steel model is equipped with a screw-in crown and a transparent sapphire crystal case back. Making performance its utmost priority, the Skyline features an automatic winding mechanism with a bi-directional rotor, delivering a power reserve of approximately 60 hours.
TAG Heuer Autavia Chronometer Flyback Chronograph
A chronograph veteran that was a hit in the ’60s, TAG Heuer’s Autavia celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. To mark the milestone and for the first time, the watchmaker is bringing back the flyback chronograph to the collection, with a newly developed Calibre Autavia Chronometre Flyback Chronograph, available in dial options of panda, all-black or blue. All pieces feature Super-LumiNova coating on the hour markers and hands to ensure quick and clear legibility, which takes inspiration from a historic Autavia reference.
Read more watch-related stories here.
| SHARE THE STORY | |
| Explore More |
